Ulrich (56) is a German ecologist and conservationist who has been living in Vienna for 29 years. He worked for the WWF Austria for more than 17 years until 2007, being primarily concerned with river conservation and restoration. He has been campaigning internationally against the construction of hydropower plants such as dams along the Danube or the Ilisu Dam project on the Tirgris River in Turkey. Between 2010 and 2012 he produced the film Climate Crimes, a documentary about the abuse of climate protection and the consequences of so-called green energies. In 2012, he founded the Vienna-based conservation organization River Watch – a society for the protection of rivers. In addition, he is freelancing for the Manfred-Hermsen-Stiftung, an environmental protection foundation based in Bremen, Germany. In November 2014, he was awarded the Great Binding Prize for Nature Conservation and in June 2015 he received the Wolfgang Staab Prize for Nature Conservation.

Conny (33) has been working for Riverwatch since February 2013. Born in Austria, she studied International Development (with a focus on environmental issues) in Vancouver/Canada and is particularly interested in habitat conservation, ecological equilibrium and true climate protection. She is responsible for public relations, project coordination, website and social media maintenance, translations, event planning as well as organizational issues. Currently, the focus of her work lies in the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign.

Fabio (38) has joined Riverwatch in 2018 and is responsible for the de-damming campaign in the Alps and the Balkans. The German-Italian dual citizen has been living in Austria since 1991 and has obtained his diploma in biology at the University of Vienna. The fishing and outdoor enthusiast focuses on issues of freshwater- and fish ecology, conservation and the possibilities of grassroots activism within civil society. His travels, spanning from Lapland to Patagonia, have profoundly influenced his perspective on rivers and have deepened his heartfelt connection to both nature and humanity.

Riverwatch Board

Friedrich Schiemer, o. Univ.-Prof. Dr.; First Chairman

University of Vienna, Department of LimnologyExpertise: general floodplain ecology; limnology, restoration ecology